Venetian blind



April 28, 1942. A. F. RICE; VENlETIAN BLIND Filed May 1, 1941 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATESW PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to Venetian blinds adapted to be mounted on the inside of window frames, and operated in a generally conventional way for tilting the slats and raising and lowering the blind.

It has been contemplated to construct a blind comprised of slats for use outside a window.

The mounting and construction of blinds that are so used involves the design of special mechv for use outside a window have been so constructed to form awnings in which the slats were tiltable, and certain of the blinds involve the use of flexible connections for the slats.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel form of Venetian blind for inside use that is collapsible and comprises flexible tapes and tiltable slats.

Another primary object of this invention has been to provide a construction of Venetian blind for the customary uses of these type of blinds in houses, in offices, and the like, wherein the blind is readily operable from the inside of a window for door, wherein the slats are mounted entirely turaand very little change from the ordinary practise of manufacture.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a blind that iseasy to assemble and disassemble, and in which the slats may be of any suitable material, as the conventional typeof slat that is used in the present day art.

Another further object of this invention is to provide a simplified form of Venetian blind tape that will be cheaper to manufacture and eliminate many of the unnecessary steps required to assemble the conventional blind with its present form of tape. i i Other and more particular, objects of this invention will appear from the description of the invention as now follows.

Referring to the drawing- Figural is a side elevation of the Venetian blind generally illustrating the mounting of the blind in the window opening, the location of the tilting means, and the means to raise and lower the slats of the blind.

Figure 2 is an end view showing generally the means of supporting the slats and the location of the blind in the windowfrarne.

Figure 3 is an end view of a section of the blind showing the position ofthe slats and tape, and in dotted lines the position of the slats and tape when the tilting mechanism has been actuated.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section (ii a portion of the tapes and a slat taken on a line 44 of Figure 5, showing the method of mounting the slats on the slat supports, and the construction of certain details.

Figure 5 is a section looking down on Figure 4, showing more particularly, the slat and slat supporting and fastening means.

Figure 6 is a detail section of the tape with portions of the tape broken away and showing a suitable eyelet mounted in the tape.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-4 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 shows a window frame 1, in which has been mounted a head bar or rail 6, and fastened therein by suitable means, not shown, but of conventional type.

Thehead rail or bar 6 has depending there-- from a tilt mechanism 8 such as that described.

in Letters Patent No. 2,031,354, issued to R; H. Wright, and fastened to the head bar 6 in any suitable manner for drivably engaging a tilt bar I. A bracket part II, (more particularly de-- scribed in the above mentioned patent), also depending from the head rail or bar 5, is adapted to support the end of the tilt bar I, pivotally, at the opposite end fromthe tilt mechanism 8. Between the tilting mechanism 8 and the supporting bracket II, the tilt rail 1 is located, as before described, and adapted to be operated by the tilt mechanism 8, through the connection it and pivot support 12.

The tilt bar 1 is operated through the tilting mechanism 8 by the cord 9, as shown in the above ronentioned patent, and in Figure 1 of this inven- Suitably fastened to the tilt rail l are tapes 4 and 6, of conventional width. The tapes 4 and 4' depend from the tilt rail 1 and pass downwardly to a bottom rail 2 and are fastened there: to as by suitable tacks to. The bottom rail 2 is weighted suitably, as shown at i 4,for purposes to be later described.

Adjacent the tapes 4', the slats 3 are supported on slat support members I5, which are connected with the rear tapes 4, and pass through the front tapes 4' in a manner to be described.

In order to raise and lower the slats 3 and the bottom rail 2, to permit unobstructed passage of light through the window in which the blind has been mounted, lift cords I3a and I3?) are shown as suitably fastened at one end to the bottom rail 2, passing upwardly between the tapes 4 and 4', through the head bar 6 and over pulleys 6a, which are suitably fastened in the head bar in the conventional way, thence to opposite end to the tilt mechanism 8 over additional pulleys 6a, and downwardly through the head'bar to be joined to form a single cord I3.

To accomplish the objects described, I provide the tapes 4 and 4 with eyelets-I8 of a conventional type, and fastened in the tape, the eyelets I8 being of preferably round configuration and having round openings therethrough, suitably spaced on the tapes at points where usuall the ladder portions of the conventional tape are fastened. The tapes 4 and 4, as used both front and rear, are the same size, width, and will be generally cut from the same roll of tape, in the manufacture of the blind.

The supports for each of the slats 3 are preferably flat members I 5, with ends 2 I, being of suitable size to fasten to the slats as at H, with portions adapted to pass through eyelets I 8 in the tapes 4 and be curled at the ends, as at It for engagement with suitable anchoring devices I9, in the eyelets I8 of the tapes 4.

The anchoring devices I9 are in the form of fiat metal members, and have portions 20 extruded from the centers thereof, as shown in Figure 5, wherein the ends are a part of the metal plates I9 and the metal has been stretched to form the portions 20.

The portions 20 of the anchoring devices fit snugly in the eyelets I8 and the curled ends I6 of the slat supports I are formed to prevent passage of the curled ends I6 through the eyelets I3 after the assembly. The center portions of the slat support members I5 rest on the lower portion of the eyelets I8 on' the front tapes 4' forming the pivot surfaces for the purposes to be hereinafter described.

From the foregoing, it is seen that When the outer tapes 4 are raised by rotation of the: tilt bar I by the tilt mechanism 8, the tapes will cause the slats to be tilted, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, the ends I6 of the slat supports pivoting on the anchoring means I9, and the cen-- ter portions of the slat supports I5, will move in the eyelets I8.

The tilting of th tilt bar I and the raising of the outer tapes 4', will, of course, of necessity lower the rear tapes 4.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the tilting action of the slats of the blind takes place in a generally conventional way. Likewise, the raising and lowering of the slats 3 by the lift cords I3a and I 31) will take place in the usual manner, and permit the slats to come into close relation at the top portion of the window beneath the head bar 6, or be suitably positioned in the frame.

In view of the fact that the weight of the slats 3 must be balanced, as otherwise they would tend to rotate because of this weight on the pivot formed by the eyelets I 8 in front tapes 4' at times that would not be desirable, I provide a. weight I4 in the body rail 2 of a suitable size to counterbalance this action, the actual weight depending on the size of the blind and the width of the slats and other factors that will be readily seen by those skilled in the art.

With the foregoing essential features of the invention in mind, the operation of the Venetian blind of my invention is seen to be similar to that of the blinds now in use, and may be summarized as follows:

The normal open position of the Venetian blind, as shown in Figure 1, is used as a starting point for the following particular details of operation of the blind.

By operating the tilt cord 9, over the pulley, on the end of the tilt mechanism 8, the connection It] between the tilt 8 and the tilt bar I is actuated and causes the tilt bar to be turned. Since the tapes 4 and 4', both front and rear, are connected to the tilt bar, they in turn will b raised and lowered correspondingly. That is, if the tapes 4' on the front of the tilt bar are raised, the tapes i on the rear of the tilt bar will be lowered.

As the front tapes 4 are raised, the eyelets I8, being fastened to the tape, will also be raised and raise the forward end of the slat supports. I5, to which the slats are connected. At the same time, the rear tapes 4 will be lowered, carrying the slat support anchoring means I9 mounted in the rear eyelets I3 of the rear tapes, which eyelets act as pivots for the slat supports on the portions I 6 thereof. This will be seen to effect th tilting action of the slats, as described.

Reverse rotation of the tilting mechanism- 8 will correspondingly reverse the action of the tilt bar I, and the tapes 4 and i, causing reverse tilting of the slats in a manner similar to that heretofore described.

It will be seen that by the actuation of. the lifting cords IZia and 53b, through thecord portion I3, the slats will be caused to bunch together at the top of the window just beneath the tilt bar I, when it is desired to raise the blind from its covering position in the Window frame.

The fact that the slats are'not confined between the tapes of my Venetian blind will be seen to facilitate their cleaning, and the method of connecting the slats to the operating members is seen to speed the manufacture and simplify the construction.

Since the rear tapes and the front tapes are of the same construction, the consequent elimination of expensive manufacture of such tapes is obviated, and easy alignment of the tapes in the manufacture of the blinds is seen to be effected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a Venetian blind, in combination, a tilt bar, a bottom rail, spaced inner and outer tapes connecting said bar and rail, slats disposed at the inner side of the inner tape supporting members for said slats attached thereto and passing through the inner tape, anchoring, means con-' necting the supporting members of each slat with the outer tape, the said slats being accessible over their entire surfaces at the space at the inner side of the inner tape, means for actuating the tilt bar to move the tapes and thereby effect tilted or horizontal adjustments of the slats, and means for raising the bottom rail for collapsing the slats together.

2. A Venetian blind as claimed in claim 1,

combined with weight means carried by the bottom rail for counterbalancing the weight of the slats whereby the latter will remain in adjusted positions when moved thereto by the tilting means.

3. A Venetian blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchoring means for each supporting member of the'slats comprises a loop carried by the outer tape, each cooperating supporting member of the slats being bent to interengage said loop.

4. A Venetian blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchoring means comprises an anchor plate carried by the outer tape for each supporting member, said plate being formed with a loop projecting through the tape and interengaged with the outer end of the cooperating supporting member whereby the anchor plate is prevented from displacement from the outer tape.

5. In a Venetian blind, a tape and slat unit, comprising spaced tapes, said tapes being formed with openings disposed approximately opposite one another, slats at the inner side of one of the tapes, supporting members on the slats, each supporting member extending through the tape adjacent to the slats and projecting to a point adjacent to the other tape, the last mentioned tape being provided with loops carried thereby and interengaged with the adjacent ends of the supporting members of the slats.

6. In a Venetian blind, a tape and slat unit, comprising spaced tapes, said tapes being formed with openings disposed approximately opposite one another, slats at the inner side of one of the tapes, supporting members. on the slats, each supporting member extending through the tape adjacent to the slats and projecting to a point adjacent to the other tape, the last mentioned tape being provided with loops carried thereby and interengaged with the adjacent ends of the supporting members of the slats, said loops projecting through the openings of the tape adjacent to which they are disposed and being interengaged with the slat supporting members at the sides of said tape facing the first mentioned cooperating tape, and anchor plates for the loops disposed at the side of the tape opposite that from which the loops project.

7. A slat and tape unit for Venetian blinds, comprising, spaced tapes, slats wholly disposed at a side of one of said tapes, supporting members carried by said slats, the tapes having eyelets at spaced intervals and the supporting members of the slats projecting through the eyelets of the adjacent tape and extending into proximity with the eyelets of the other tape, anchoring plates at the outer side of the eyelets of the lastmentioned tape, and loops carried by said anchoring plates and extending through the eyelets of the last mentioned tape to interengage with the adjacent ends of the supporting members.

8. A tape and slat unit for Venetian blinds, comprising, spaced tapes, a tilt bar at the upper ends of the tapes and connected thereto, a bottom rail at the lower ends of the tape and connected thereto, slats at the outer side of one of said tapes, narrow supporting member carried by the slats, the said tapes being provided with eyelets at intervals in their length and disposed approximately opposite one another, the supporting members of the slats projecting through the eyelets of the tape nearer to the slats and having their projecting extremities disposed near the eyelets of the other tape, anchoring plates at the outer side of the eyelets of the last mentioned tape, and loops projecting through the eyelets of the last mentioned tape and interengaged with the extremities of the supporting members.

9. A tape and slat unit for Venetian blinds, comprising, spaced tapes, a tilt bar at the upper ends of the tapes and connected thereto, a bottom rail at the lower ends of the tape and connected thereto, slats at the outer side of one of said tapes, narrow supporting members carried by the slats, the said tapes being provided with eyelets at intervals in their length and disposed approximately opposite one an-.

other, the supporting members of the slats projecting through the eyelets of the tape nearer to the slats and having their projecting extremities disposed near the eyelets of the other tape, anchoring plates at the outer side of the eyelets of the last mentioned tape, and loops projecting through the eyelets of the last mentioned tape and interengaged with the extremities of the supporting members, said loops snugly fitting in the eyelets of the adjacent tape, and the extremities of the supporting members holding said loops in such snug fitting engagement with the eyelets with which they cooperate.

10. A tape and slat unit for Venetian blinds,

comprising, spaced tapes, a tilt bar at the upper ends of the tapes and connected thereto, a bottom rail at the lower ends of the tape and connected thereto, slats at the outer side of one of said tapes, narrow supporting members carried by the slats, the said tapes being provided with eyelets at intervals in their length and disposed approximately opposite one another, the supporting members of the slats projecting through the eyelets of the tape nearer to the slats and having their projecting extremities disposed near the eyelets of the other tape, anchoring plates at the outer side of the eyelets of the last mentioned tape, loops projecting through the eyelets of the last mentioned tape and interengaged with the extremities of the supporting members, and weight means on the bottom rail for counterbalancing the out-board weight of the slats upon their supporting members.

ADELBERT FORD RICE. 

